One House Budgets include New York Counts 2020 ask for $40M for Census

NEW YORK, NY – Just a week after the New York Counts 2020 coalition mobilized 200+ people in Albany to call on the legislature to commit funding for Census outreach and education, the New York State Senate and Assembly have both included the $40 million ask in their respective One House budgets for Census funding.

New York Counts 2020 is urging Governor Cuomo to join the legislature and commit $40 million for Census funding to community-based organizations, to ensure an accurate count of marginalized and hard to count populations.

Steven Choi, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition (Facilitator of New York Counts 2020) said: “Yesterday the Assembly and Senate stepped up in a big way by committing $40 million to fund a full and fair Census count and we urge the Governor to step up and match them. We applaud the Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Heastie and the members of their conferences for taking concrete action and sending a clear signal that words alone will not ensure all New Yorkers are counted. With billions in federal funding and the loss of fair and equal representation in Congress at risk, we cannot allow New York to fall farther behind other states like California, that has already invested nearly $100 million for education and outreach to traditionally undercounted populations. In a budget of more than $175 billion we hope that the Governor agrees with the legislature that a $40 million investment to ensure billions in return while protecting our political representation is a deal no one should say no to.”

Rachel Bloom, Citizens Union, Co-chair of NY Counts State & Local Government Committee said: "Community based organizations are the key to ensuring an accurate New York count in the 2020 census. The $40 million in the Senate and Assembly budget resolutions must be allocated toward community organizations who are best situated to do the fundamental work of ensuring an accurate enumeration in hard-to-count communities."

Rabbi Bob Kaplan, Co-chair of NY Counts 2020 State & Local Government Committee, Director of the Center for Community Leadership at JCRC-NY said: “We thank those chosen by the voters of New York State, in both the Assembly and Senate , for recognizing the importance of the 2020 Census by calling for this historic allocation. We urge them to focus this funding towards the essential and trusted role that community- based organizations must play in ensuring that all New Yorkers will be counted.”

Background

New York Counts 2020 is a statewide coalition of over 150 partners from across the state who seek to maximize participation in the 2020 Census and therefore counter the expected impact of this Administration’s efforts to chill participation in the 2020 Census. The coalition represents a wide array of issues and industries including immigrant rights, labor, education, religion, health, government, technology, business, and libraries.